Marxism and Philosophy—and Platypus
On August 11, 2018, Platypus members Jensen Suther, Richard Rubin, and Chris Cutrone, participated in a discussion of Marxism and philosophy and the stakes of this topic for Platypus at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. It was moderated by Teo Velissaris and Reid Kotlas.
Chris pre-published his prepared opening remarks for the event in the then-latest issue of the Platypus Review:
https://platypus1917.org/2018/07/30/ends-of-philosophy/
An essential chart of terms to consider:
https://platypus1917.org/wp-content/uploads/cutrone_beingbecomingimmanentcritique102217.pdf
The main background reading for our internal discussion is Karl Korsch's 1923 essay on "Marxism and philosophy."
https://platypus1917.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/korsch_marxismandphilosophy.pdf
The Platypus Review has published extensively on Marxism and philosophy, including several relevant articles by Chris C., and there are a couple of further essays by Korsch from circa 1923 that are useful for addressing this topic:
Further reading:
- Chris Cutrone, “Book review: Karl Korsch, Marxism and Philosophy (2008),” Platypus Review 15 (September 2009), available online at: https://platypus1917.org/2009/09/03/book-review-karl-korsch-marxism-and-philosophy/.
- Cutrone, “Rejoinder on Korsch,” PR 20 (February 2010), available online at: https://platypus1917.org/2010/02/26/rejoinder-to-david-black-on-karl-korschs-marxism-and-philosophy/.
- Cutrone, “Book review: Gillian Rose, Hegel Contra Sociology (1981, 1995 and 2009): Gillian Rose’s ‘Hegelian’ critique of Marxism,” PR 21 (March 2010), available online at: https://platypus1917.org/2010/03/15/gillian-roses-hegelian-critique-of-marxism/.
- Cutrone, “Revolution without Marx? Rousseau, Kant and Hegel,” PR 61 (November 2013), available online at: https://platypus1917.org/2013/11/01/rousseau-kant-hegel/.
- Cutrone, “Why still read Lukács? The place of ‘philosophical’ questions in Marxism,” PR 63 (February 2014), available online at: https://platypus1917.org/2014/02/01/why-still-read-lukacs-the-place-of-philosophical-questions-in-marxism/.
- Cutrone, “Book review: Andrew Feenberg, The Philosophy of Praxis (2014),” Marxism & Philosophy Review of Books (February 14, 2015), available online at: https://marxandphilosophy.org.uk/reviews/7988_the-philosophy-of-praxis-review-by-chris-cutrone/.
- Cutrone, “Back to Herbert Spencer! Industrial vs. militant society.” PR 82 (December 2015 – January 2016), available online at: https://platypus1917.org/2016/01/12/back-to-herbert-spencer/.
- Karl Korsch, “Marxism and philosophy” (1923), in Marxism and Philosophy (New York: Monthly Review Press, 1970 and 2008), available online at: https://www.marxists.org/archive/korsch/1923/marxism-philosophy.htm.
- Korsch, “The Marxist dialectic” (1923), available online at: https://www.marxists.org/archive/korsch/1923/marxist-dialectic.htm.
- Korsch, “On materialist dialectic” (1924), available online at: https://www.marxists.org/archive/korsch/1924/materialist-dialectic.htm.
